


everything will be alright if you keep me next to you

by crossroadswrite



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alive Claudia Stilinski, Alive Hale Family, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Growing Up Together, M/M, Song fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-30
Updated: 2015-12-30
Packaged: 2018-05-10 10:51:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,694
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5583007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crossroadswrite/pseuds/crossroadswrite
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The story of how it took a while for Derek and Stiles to finally get together but how they got there anyway accompanied by Taylor Swift lyrics to set the mood.</p>
            </blockquote>





	everything will be alright if you keep me next to you

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Emela](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emela/gifts).



> Birthday song fic for the most noble land mermaid Emma, my Taylor Swift and Sterek buddy who is 22!! Which is perfect because Taylor Swift!!! Happy birthday bby <3
> 
> Title taken from ['22' by Taylor swift](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgFeZr5ptV8).
> 
> Songs quoted below are all by Taylor Swift and they are:  
> 1\. [Mary's Song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlQbK-Vu37I)  
> 2\. [You Belong With Me](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuNIsY6JdUw)  
> 3\. [Enchanted](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWSt64gNr30)  
> 4\. [You Are In Love](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5mOOuIKeYc)

_[i was seven and you were nine i looked at you_  
like the stars that shined in the sky]  
\- ‘Mary’s Song’

*

The Hales live in a big house in the middle of the preserve. It has to be really big because there’s a lot of them.

Stiles looks up at the imposing façade of the house and blinks a little in awe.

“Are you sure we can go in?” he whispers, leaning over and standing on his tip toes so he can reach his mom’s ear. He doesn’t fall too short. If he had a ladder he’d reach it.

“Yes sweetheart, the Hales are hosting a barbecue. They invited us.”

“Oh,” he says and looks back at the house, tugging his mother’s hand out of her pocket and holding it. “Why did they invite us?”

“Your Dad is the Sheriff now. He’s important and they invite the important people.”

“Are there gonna be other kids, because if I get bored I’ll have to do some drastic,” Stiles states and then holds out his hand because hard words get him a quarter.

His mama huffs but fishes one out of her pocket and places it on his hand. “There’s gonna be a lot of other kids.”

“Yes but are they gonna be _cool_. I don’t want to play with a bunch of whiny babies.”

“ _Stiles_ ,” Mama chastises. “That’s not nice.”

He rolls his eyes, “Yeah, but is it a lie? We shall see mother.”

Mama snorts and Stiles beams at her a little.

“Don’t encourage him Claudia.”

Mama whirls around to look at Tata and cocks an eyebrow. “Don’t give me that. He gets it from your side of the family.”

“My side of the family isn’t comprised by delinquents,” Tata throws back quickly, dropping a kiss on her cheek and offering her his arm.

Mama takes it and lets herself be guided inside, taking Stiles by the hand.

“I swear a person gets arrested a _couple_ of times and _suddenly_ they’re a delinquent.”

“Five times. And those were only the times _I_ arrested you.”

“I was fighting for freedom!”

“You were trespassing.”

“I didn’t know it was private property.”

The big wooden door opens and Ms. Hale greets them with a warm smile.

“You were fully aware it was private property Claudia,” Ms. Hale says.

“You can prove nothing,” his mother smiles and untangles herself from Tata, opening her arms to hug Talia Hale.

When they finish hugging, Mama pulls Stiles forward and points towards him with a little flourish. “This is my son, Stiles.”

Talia nods with a little smile but thankfully doesn’t try to hug him or anything. Stiles doesn’t really like when people hug him. Especially older people. Especially _girls_. They have cooties, everyone knows that.

“Nice to meet you Stiles, the other kids are out back if you want to go play. Derek can take you. Derek, honey, come here.”

An older boy comes to the door and looks suspiciously at Stiles. His eyebrows look _very_ angry.

Stiles wants to poke them a little.

“You can’t,” the boy says.

“I can’t what?”

“Poke me. I’m bigger than you.”

Stiles frowns and realizes he must’ve said that out loud.

“So?” he huffs. “I bet you a gazillion dollars I could beat you.”

The boy huffs a little laugh. “No you couldn’t. I’m bigger and I’m _older_ so I’m smarter.”

Stiles squints. “Bet you I could beat you in a race.”

“You’re on!” Derek says smugly and tugs him by the front of the shirt towards the backyard where they can race without breaking anything.

Derek wins the race.

But Stiles manages to tackle him to the floor and stand on top of him so he wins at _life_.

*

 _[when our world was one block wide i dared you to kiss me_  
and ran when you tried]  
\- ‘Mary’s Song’

*

“It’s not that far,” Stiles whines. “Mamo. _Bardzo bardzo bardzo proszę_.”

“Don’t try to sweet talk me by speaking polish. No means no. Derek isn’t responsible enough to take you to the park. You’re both too young.”

Stiles huffs. “Mom he’s, like, twenty five. He’s _ancient_.”

“He’s twelve.”

“That’s what I said. _Ancient_.”

“Then if he’s ancient, you shouldn’t hang out with him.”

“Mom,” Stiles whines. “Don’t be contrary.”

Claudia takes a quarter from the swear jar and hands it to him.

“Besides Laura will be at the park and Derek’s older cousins and his Auntie ‘Lexis too. It’s not like we’re going to be _alone_.”

Mama raises an eyebrow.

“We’ll just be alone on the way there and we’re gonna take his bike! Come on, I haven’t seen him in fifty years, Mamo.”

“You saw him yesterday at school, _misiaczku_. He picked you up.”

Stiles flops across his mother’s lap, throwing her notebook on the floor.

“ _Mamo_ , please. I’ll be good, I promise. I’ll even clean my room.”

“Cross your heart,” Claudia says immediately. “Cross your heart you’ll clean your room and I’ll let you go.”

The doorbell rings, playing for a couple of seconds a jingle that no one can quite identify even if they had the damn thing for years now.

“Cross my heart and hope to die,” he says seriously, making a cross over his heart.

“Okay then you can g-“

Stiles scrambles over his mother and the arm of the couch rushing towards the front door and throwing it back carelessly. The ident on the wall where the knob normally hits just became a little deeper but Derek is there and they will go to the _park_ and it’s going to be _awesome!_

“Did you run to the door?” Derek raises an eyebrow.

Stiles has never met anyone with eyebrows so expressive before, not even any of the other Hales. He tells Derek that all the time.

He also never met someone with eyes quite like Derek’s which are green but also not. Sometimes they look more blue or brown or grey or a swirl of all the colors and sometimes Stiles likes to make a game out of it, to guess which color Derek’s eyes will look like before he sees him.

 _That,_ he never tells Derek.

“No,” he shouts, shouldering past him. “Why would I run to see your stupid stinky face.”

“My stupid stinky face is taking you to the park, _brat._ ”

Stiles sticks his tongue out at him, heading for the bike parked against his mail box before remembering something and rushing back inside.

He kisses his mom on the cheek. “Bye, mom! Call ‘Lexie when you want me home.”

Mama flicks his nose and tells him to be careful out there.

“Can I ride in the handlebar?” he asks, bouncing on the balls of his feet as Derek tries to fasten a helmet on his head.

“Stand _still_. And no. You’re going to fall and die.”

“You’d catch me,” Stiles dismisses. “So can I? We can do it like in the movies!”

“Couples do it in the movies.”

“Whatever, I still want to do it! Derek! Derek! Derek, Derek, Derek, De-“

“ _Alright_. Okay, you can ride on the handlebar. Now shut up before I make you.”

“Psht you wouldn’t.” Stiles makes his voice mimic his momma’s. “You’re a _nice boy_. And such a _good influence_.” He makes a face.

Stiles Stilinski doesn’t _need_ good influences.

Derek snorts and pats the helmet Stiles is wearing, a poor substitute to ruffling his hair, which somehow is a thing he started doing a lot.

“Get on the bike before I change my mind and leave you here.”

“You wouldn’t _dare_ ,” he accuses but climbs on the handler and grips it tight.

“You ready?” Derek asks.

“I was born ready,” Stiles intones and that gets him a laugh which also makes something in his stomach feel bubbly and summer-y.

It’s a little wobbly at first, but once Derek gets a rhythm going it feels like flying and falling at the same time.

It’s so exhilarating Stiles laughs, squinting his eyes against the wind.

“Faster!”

Derek’s laughing too even if he always laughs a little quieter than Stiles.

“Derek!”

“No, we’re both going to die if we go faster.”

Derek goes just a little faster and Stiles starts whooping and hollering, sticking his tongue out and making faces at the people who stop to stare.

Luckily neither of them die before they get to the park.

“That was awesome!” Stiles screams and he’s so happy he jumps on Derek, hanging off him like a monkey. Derek’s older he can take it. “We need to do that all the time.”

“Your parents are going to kill me,” Derek shakes his head but his hair is a mess and his eyes are lighting up like the fireflies they catch in jars and he’s smiling so widely Stiles knows they’re going to do this again and it’s going to be _awesome_ because _Derek is awesome!_

*

 _[walk in the streets with you in your worn out jeans_  
i can’t help thinking this is how it ought to be]  
\- ‘You Belong With Me’

*

“Mom I’m meeting Derek!” Stiles shouts, thundering down the stairs.

“Be good, don’t get arrested again.”

Stiles huffs a little, leaning over the back of the couch to give his mother a kiss.

“That was one time, and it was mostly Laura’s fault.”

“Huh-uh,” Mama hums and shoos him with a hand, slowly placing a bedazzled sticker on her notebook thingy. “Just don’t do anything that would give your father a heart attack.”

“Don’t you trust me, _mamusia_?”

“I trust Derek to keep you out of trouble.”

“Oh come on! Derek gets into much more trouble than I do! That’s hardly fair.”

“Debatable. Now go before Derek paces a hole on the sidewalk.”

Stiles laughs and pushes himself off the couch, bounding through the door and slamming it backwards, wincing a little when something cracks.

“Took you long enough,” Derek huffs, leaning too _casually_ against the mailbox.

“Aw, I missed you too, big guy,” he coos, moving towards Derek and maybe he has a bounce in his step but well, this is Derek’s last month here before he goes off to college and Stiles hasn’t seen him in a while so _sue him_.

“Brat,” Derek throws at him, pulling him closer with an arm over Stiles’ shoulders and running his knuckles over his hair harshly.

“Urgh, stop.” Stiles smacks him on the stomach. “Derek! I’m not nine anymore.”

Derek laughs and lets him straighten up a little, keeping the arm around his shoulders and pulling him down the street.

It’s nice.

It’s always nice being like this with Derek, easy and carefree and teasing when both of them like to harmlessly poke fun at the other even as they keep close.

Derek always looks like something ethereal and untouchable like this, eyes bright and grin wide and smug, a little smirk at the corner of his lips. He always looks a little breathless and he _is_ breathless. Well, he _makes_ Stiles breathless but that’s not something they talk about.

*

 _[and you’ve got a smile that could light up this whole town_  
i haven’t seen it in a while since she brought you down]  
\- ‘You Belong With Me’

*

“You eat like a five year old,” Derek says and then pokes him on the elbow, making Stiles’ arm jerk and ice cream end up all over his cheek.

He glares. “Really mature, college boy.”

Derek smugly takes a bite out of his ice cream because _he’s an asshole_ and Stiles would be mad but the corners of Derek’s eyes crinkle in a smile and he can’t.

So instead Stiles is mentally shaking his fist at the magical entities that made him fall in love with this asshole and cursing them to hell and back.

“How are the college applications going?” Derek asks _casually_.

Someone should really teach him subtlety.

“Alright I guess. I’m waiting for my early admissions.”

“Any luck?”

Stiles shrugs one shoulder and presses his lips together, contemplating his ice cream.

He’s not about to mention how he’s hoping Berkeley accepts his sorry ass so he can go to the same college as Derek.

These last few months _sucked_ , like, honestly sucked. Stiles has no idea how anyone can bear the Derek being so far away and only getting the occasional Skype call.

“You should apply to Berkeley,” Derek suggests and when Stiles looks back up he’s looking at him intensely, _seriously,_ like this is something important.

Stiles is a little too busy drowning in Derek’s full attention to say anything smart. “Berkeley?”

“It’s close by. Great school. You’re smart enough to get a scholarship.”

“Aw you miss me.”

“What.”

Stiles grins and it’s something so slow he can feel it stretching his face into a too wide smile that will make his cheeks hurt in just a second.

“You _miss me_. You want me close by. You can’t go a day with your daily dose of the Stil-“

Derek grabs his wrist and smushes Stiles’ ice cream on his face.

“Shut up. I was just _saying_.”

Stiles splutters, wiping a hand over his face and twisting his nose when it comes back dripping with ice cream.

“ _Asshole_ ,” he accuses and jerks forward smacking his hand all over Derek’s hair and grinning smugly when the other boy almost tips over his chair trying to get away.

“You owe me an ice cream,” Stiles demands, flicking his smashed in cone at Derek and suppressing a giggle when the leftover ice cream splatters all over Derek’s shirt.

“You owe me a bath and a shirt.”

Stiles wiggles his eyebrows. “Oh baby yeah talk dirty to me.”

Derek huffs a laugh and flushes, the tips of his ears going that adorable shade of red and Stiles can’t help but grin.

“Brat.”

“You brought that one on yours-“

The shrill ringtone of Derek’s phone interrupts him.

Derek takes it out of his pocket and unlocks it, eyes scanning over the screen for a moment before he tenses up.

“You okay?” Stiles asks, sobering up.

“Yeah. I’m fine, it’s just-“

“Girlfriend?” he asks bitterly even though he tries not to.

Derek is allowed to date. Stiles doesn’t have a say in who Derek chooses to kiss because it’s none of his business even if he’s so gone on this boy it pains him physically to be chill about it.

But this is Derek and he wants Derek to be happy so he doesn’t say anything.

“Yeah,” Derek mutters and grinds his teeth together.

“Okay. Do you need me to go or-“

“No,” Derek shakes his head and pockets his phone without tapping a reply. “No, it’s fine, I’d rather make fun of you anyway.”

Stiles tells himself that he’s not pleased Derek chose him. He’s not. The bubbly feeling in his ribcage means nothing, _shutup_.

“I’m not the one with ice cream all over my shirt and hair. Who eats like a five year old now, huh?”

Derek squints at him dangerously, looking down at his ice cream cone and back at Stiles.

“No.”

Derek smirks.

“Derek Hale don’t you fucking dare.”

Derek launches himself towards Stiles and he flips his chair trying to get away, scrambling to his feet and pointing a finger at him.

“ _Stop_.”

Derek starts running after him and Stiles yelps, running down the street after him and this is right. This is them.

*

 _[the lingering question kept me up 2AM who do you love_  
i wonder ‘til I’m wide awake]  
\- ‘Enchanted’

*

“You’ve been here for a _week_ how did you manage this level of chaos?” Derek asks, carefully stepping over a pile of clothes and trying not to trip over a stack of books.

“It’s an art form really,” Stiles says lazily. He’s sprawled on his bed and he’s so sleepy he can’t be bothered to get up.

“You’re lucky you don’t have a roommate.”

Stiles fist pumps lazily, letting his arm smack back down onto his stomach. “I’m the king of the castle. Well, of the dorm room. Thank the higher deities for mix-ups in the human resources department.”

Derek stands over him and raises an eyebrow.

“Are you going to get up or do I have to cart you around?”

“Oooh, I get to choose? Piggie back rides, please.”

“ _Stiles_.”

“What? I don’t have anywhere to go and you’ll have to leave to be with whatsherface in a minute, so.”

“Her name is Paige and she’s a nice girl.”

“And you’re a nice boy! Match made in heaven!” he says and flops onto his stomach.

Can he just stay here and die or? Because that would be much better than having to watch Derek with his _girlfriend_.

His admittedly _nice_ even if snarky girlfriend.

This would be much better if Paige was an awful person but _no_ she had to go and be a _nice_ person.

What is his life even.

“And I’m not meeting Paige today.”

Stiles peeks from where he had been trying to suffocate himself with his pillow.

“You’re not?”

Derek rolls his eyes. “Of course not. You’ve been here for a week and I’ve barely seen you, come on we’re going to the arcade.”

Stiles sits up suddenly. “There’s an _arcade?_ ”

Derek smirks. “Not if you don’t get off your lazy ass.”

Stiles sticks his tongue out and gets off his lazy ass, picking clothes that look somewhat presentable off the floor and going to the bathroom to quickly put them on.

“Don’t take long or I’ll leave without you,” Derek shouts at him.

“I stopped believing that when I was thirteen and you waited three hours for me after detention,” Stiles shouts back and makes a face at himself in the mirror.

His life would be so much easier if Derek just ignored him and continuously ditched him for his girlfriend. That way he could get over this stupid crush-love-thingy and just move on, but no Derek has to be a good friend and be there for him and pay attention to him.

Honestly, what an asshole.

Stiles throws the bathroom door open and picks up his keys.

“I’m taking you up on your offer,” he says seriously.

Derek looks over his shoulder, heading towards the door. “What offer.”

Stiles grins and jumps on Derek’s back. “Piggy back rides, bitch!”

Derek doesn’t even drop him, just laughs this little fond thing, holds Stiles by the thighs until he’s sure Stiles is secure and carries him out of there.

Stiles will reiterate: _what an asshole_.

*

 _[now i’m pacing back and forth wishing you were at my door_  
i’d open up and you would say]  
\- ‘Enchanted’

*

It’s two am and Stiles can’t sleep which isn’t as bad as it could be.

It could be two am and Stiles could be awake and have a nine am class. He does not have a nine am class so his current situation isn’t so bad.

Don’t get him wrong, it sucks plenty. It just doesn’t suck to its full potential.

He blinks lazily at the infomercial for something for old people that he’s currently watching, upside down, on the TV.

Maybe if he hangs off the side of the tiny armchair he was able to drag in here long enough he’ll pass out.

That seems better than watching a geriatric man that looks about to shoot a grocery store put in his denture.

Stiles also might be the tiniest bit tipsy.

You know, just a little bit, since he came from a party and there was alcohol and he’s in college and drinking is what you do.

He groans and rolls onto the floor, laying there to see if maybe the floor can ground him a little bit.

This was not a good night. This was a confusing night because- because _Derek_.

Derek with his fluffy hair perfectly style and his firefly eyes and his little smirk but also Derek’s _girlfriend_ who had been with him but not.

Stiles is confused. He doesn’t know if Derek has a girlfriend anymore or not, especially after that lovely screaming match he overhead in the bathroom.

He’s also confused because he thinks that for some reason he was the screaming theme.

The screaming theme, that’s funny for some reason.

Stiles snorts against the carpet and then remembers his floor is disgusting and levers himself up, sitting back on the armchair.

He just wants to know what is happening. He just wants to know where he stands with Derek because he _knows_ they’re friends but he also knows that they don’t _look_ like friends. A lot of people have thought they were much more than friends.

And when they hang out it doesn’t feel like hanging out with a friend either. It’s not like hanging out with Scott or Erica.

(Yeah, Stiles has other friends, he knows he’s shocked himself by that.)

There’s a knock on his door but Stiles ignores it because the effort of getting up and going all the way over there seems something only good guy Steve Rodgers could do right now.

“Stiles,” someone shouts through the door. “It’s Derek.”

 _Of course_ it’s Derek.

Stiles sighs and boosts himself up, going all the way to the door and opening it.

Turns out the power of gay love does make miracles happen, look at what he just did.

“Hey,” Derek says and his shoulders are hunched and his eyebrows are sad and this is officially the worst day of Stiles’ life. “Can I come in?”

Stiles sighs and steps aside. “When have I said no to you?”

Derek frowns and doesn’t step into the room because he likes being difficult.

“You can say no. I don’t want to-”

“When have I _ever_ wanted to say no to you. Get in here before I keel over from the effort of standing up.”

Derek sighs and steps in, closing the door and throwing one of Stiles’ arms over his shoulder because he’s a soft marshmallow that always prevent Stiles from braining himself on the floor.

Stiles slumps against his side.

“You’re a mess,” Derek mutters and drags him to the bed.

“I’m a hot mess, pal.”

“ _Pal_?”

“Pal! Buddy, compadre, amigo, partner, cowboy-“

“Alright, shut up and go to sleep.”

Derek throws him on the bed and Stiles bounces a little, blinking up at him.

“What kind of horrible host do you think I am? You just got here a-“

“I’ll go to sleep too.”

Stiles smirks. “You gonna cuddle me all night long, buddy?”

“If you want.”

Stiles goes very still.

No. He’s joking. Derek jokes all the time.

“What would your girlfriend think?”

Derek shrugs and his eyes go _shifty_. “Dunno, don’t have a girlfriend.”

“Derek,” Stiles says and it’s so breathless and hopeful he almost winces with it.

Derek sits on the edge of the bed and looks carefully down at him.

Stiles scoots back and makes space for him.

“We need to talk about this,” he tells Derek when the other man finally lays down.

Derek turns until he’s facing him and they’re so close and it would be _so_ easy to lean over and kiss him.

But Stiles doesn’t, like he didn’t all those other times he had the same opportunity.

“Tomorrow?” Derek asks, sounding tired.

“Okay,” he mutters and scoots closer, curling a little until his forehead touches Derek’s chest like they did all those years ago when Stiles stayed over at the Hales and they tired themselves out running around.

*

 _[one step, not much but_  
it said enough]  
\- ‘You Are In Love’

*

Stiles isn’t expecting much out of this.

He should’ve known Derek would be contrary.

“Hey,” Derek greets softly when Stiles finally convinces himself that waking up is a good idea.

“Hi,” Stiles mumbles, stretching and rolling towards the edge of the bed, letting one arm hang down as he watches Derek read from some book he had on the floor, looking comfy and warm in Stiles’ armchair.

He looks so comfy and warm Stiles seriously considers just going over and sitting on his lap so he can share some of that.

Derek puts his book down and directs his full attention to Stiles.

“Wanna talk?”

Stiles doesn’t _particularly_ want to talk but on the off chance there’s hope for him and his hopeless crush he feels like he should.

“Sure.”

“So,” Derek starts and drags the armchair closer to the bed.

“So,” Stiles parrots. “You don’t have a girlfriend anymore.”

“I don’t.”

“Why?”

“Realized I liked someone else. Paige deserves better than that.”

Stiles sits up, dragging the covers over his shoulders and huddling up.

“Do I know them?”

Derek’s mouth quirks. “Intimately, I’d say.”

“Don’t be an asshole.”

“Don’t be obtuse,” Derek throws back quickly and leans forwards.

“Don’t give me hope.”

“It’s not hope if it’s a reality.”

Stiles might or might not stop breathing. It doesn’t help that Derek is an asshole and leans over very softly, very carefully, and places his lips on Stiles’ and then _sighs_ into it, like this is something he’s been waiting for a long time, like a huge load was just taken from his back and all the planets aligned and all is right in the universe and whatever else clichéd crap you want to apply here.

Stiles only knows that he’s _kissing_ Derek and he can’t breathe because it’s been a long time since they’ve known each other and if he thought Derek left him breathless before ohboy this is an entire new level of breathlessness.

The kiss itself is soft and slow and unassuming like ellipses that comprehend in them an entire world of things to come.

Stiles might still be a little drunk.

“Good?” Derek asks, barely pulling back.

“Yeah.”

“Again?”

“Yeah.”

*

 _[one night he wakes, strange look on his face_  
pauses, then says ‘you’re my best friend’]  
\- ‘You Are In Love’

*

“We’re getting a new mattress,” Derek mumbles into his pillow, trying for the nth time to adjust himself and get comfortable and failing.

“You were the one who didn’t want to try them out at the store.”

“It’s not _polite_.”

“Your face is not polite. It’s quite offensive, I’d say.”

Derek laughs into his pillow and Stiles cracks one eye open, scooting closer and draping himself over Derek’s back because that’s something he can do.

It’s been a while since they’ve been doing this and he’s still _amazed_ every single day that he gets to do this.

Derek fidgets again and Stiles bites his shoulder.

“Stop fidgeting.”

“I hate this mattress.”

“Then go sleep on the floor.”

“I can’t, if I do I’ll find the engagement ring you have stashed under the bed.

Stiles huffs a laugh against Derek’s shoulder and pokes him in the ribs.

“Stop snooping through my stuff.”

He’d be upset, but he found an engagement ring in Derek’s gross cereal box so they’re even.

Derek turns and wrestles Stiles down, locking his head under his arm and rubbing his knuckles over it.

“ _Derek_ ,” he complains, digging his fingers into his stupid boyfriend’s ribs until he shies away. “You’re such an asshole.”

“You love it,” Derek says smugly like he’s been doing forever now. Like Stiles loving him is some badge of honor or something.

All Stiles knows is that Derek is a fucking _dork_.

“Hey, come here,” Derek says.

Stiles crosses his arms and raises an eyebrow.

Derek grabs him and pulls him towards him, one hand on the nape of Stiles’ neck and the other on his hip.

“Hey,” he mumbles because like Stiles said he’s a dork but his eyes are crinkled and he has his soft smile on and he’s still warm from sleep and Stiles guesses he can be a dork too.

“Hi.”

Derek almost goes squinty-eyed with how hard he’s smiling.

Seriously, it’s like he _wants_ Stiles to have a heart attack.

“Guess what,” Derek says and slots his thumb in the hinge of Stiles’ jaw, soothing at the spot.

“What?”

“Love you.”

Jesus, what an asshole.

Stiles practically melts in his lap leaning that tiny bit forward and asking for a kiss. One that Derek dotes on him heartbreakingly slow.

“Yeah, love you too.”

*

 _[and you knew what it was_  
he is in love]  
\- ‘You Are In Love’

**Author's Note:**

> y'all have no idea how happy i am i could write this


End file.
